


Dusk Till Dawn

by pacmantommo



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, F/F, F/M, FrostIron - Freeform, Loki is 19, Loki/Thor/Valkyrie - Freeform, M/M, Past Abuse, Tony is 23, Tony/Rhodey/Bruce/Steve/Bucky/Peter, texting au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-17 10:22:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14830466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pacmantommo/pseuds/pacmantommo
Summary: Thor is bored of men treating his brother badly, so when he meets a certain guy in a bar he decides he could be perfect for Loki. Chaos ensues. Texting AU.!! This fic contains mentions of past abuse and anxiety, please read at your own risk !!





	Dusk Till Dawn

**Loki's Phone.**

(7:23pm) Thot: **Brother! I'm with the best guy at the bar right now :)**

(7:24pm) Loki: _Lovely._

(7:24pm) Thot: **He said he'd love to talk to you so I gave him your number :)**

(7:25pm) Loki: _Sorry? Did you drop one of your weights on your fat head this morning?_

(7:26pm) Loki: _This can't be a good idea. Why in the hell would you give him my number? He could be a murderer, you great oaf._

(7:26pm) Thot: **Relax brother. He's nice. His names Anthony Stark. He's with a group of people, we're still together now at the bar if you want to come down and say hello to them all. One of his friends Bruce said it'd be cool to meet someone else who studies at uni**

(7:26pm) Loki: _I would rather stay inside in the safety of our home, thank you very much. Is he even the same age as me? I'm not into creeps._

(7:27pm) Thot: **He's 23 and says it's very rude to ask a lady about her age, he's got a very charming personality I think you'd like him**

(7:28pm) Loki: _Seems you like him already, why not date him yourself brother?_

(7:29pm) Thot: **Because brother, I'm not the one who makes terrible dating decisions, am I?**

(7:34pm) Loki: _I suppose not. To say he'd love to talk to me he's not really made much of an effort. At all._

(7:35pm) Thot: **He's at the bar, we're getting some more drinks and then he'll text you :)**

(7:46pm) Loki: _Ah yes, great first impression._

(7:48pm) Thot: **Loki yu go to parties every weekend and you re at univertsy -U see drunk people all the time**

(7:50pm) Loki: _Yes, but not potential dates._   _And speaking of drunk people?_

(7:51pm) Loki: _Anyway I'm watching the simpsons._

(7:52pm) Loki: _And I ate the rest of the ice cream so if you stop by the shop on your adventure back be sure to get me some._

(7:55pm) Loki: _Please?_  

(7:56pm) Loki: _You'll regret this._

 

(8:03pm) Unknown: **Hello? Is this Loki?**  

(8:05pm) Loki: _No, this is a phone._

(8:06pm) Unknown: **Yeah your brother said you'd be like this, anyway, he's really drunk and he got into a fight so I need you to come take him home so he doesn't get arrested**

(8:07pm) Unknown: **It's Anthony, btw. Or you can call me Tony.**

(8:08pm) Loki: _I'll be there in 5 minutes. Don't let him wander off, he's terrible with directions when he's drunk._

(8:09pm) Tony: **Great! I'll try my best but he's at least twice my size**

(8:10pm) Loki: _Sounds like a you problem._

 

Loki didn't decide to wait for an answer, already giddy with excitement to see his brother in such a state. It had been a while since Thor had drank, so it'll be a sight to see. Slipping on a jacket and his shoes, the younger brother left the TV on and walked out the apartment, locking the door behind him. When he stepped out into the street, he felt his body being swallowed by the chilly wind. It wasn't a long walk from the bar that the two brothers liked to drink at, but it was fast becoming winter and Loki didn't want to catch a cold before his last couple of classes. It would put him behind and he didn't want to risk it. 

Humming to himself on the way there, Loki became aware very quickly that he could hear his brother shouting before he could see him. Something must've really pissed Thor off, the guy was always happy. Loki started to speed up his walking, knowing exactly what'd happen next if he didn't calm his brother down quick enough.

"Get off me now, Tony-"

"Yeah, no can't do that, promised your brother." 

"Ah, so you're Anthony?" Loki smiled politely, ignoring his brother struggling to break free from the shorter man's grip. It didn't take much, Tony was getting distracted as he drank in the image of the taller man standing in front of him.

"Brother!" Thor yelled, pulling Loki into a hug. The younger grimaced at the smell of alcohol, he had definitely drunk too much for his own good tonight. And to say it wasn't even late was truly disappointing. 

"I'm here to bring you home." Loki informed Thor, feeling a bit awkward standing next to Tony (who was wearing a suit, who wore a suit to a bar?) in his old joggers with a hoodie too big for him and his ratty jacket. 

"No! I haven't dealt with that fucking-" 

"I seriously have no idea why he's so angry, he saw someone at the bar and started shouting at them but the guy didn't do anything." Tony muttered, looking at Thor and then to his group of friends who were standing awkwardly together. They were watching the scene in front of them unfold but felt too out of place to step in and help. The bigger brother seemed to be getting impatient waiting to speak to Loki and decided to try walking off again, but Tony made a quick grab for him and managed to pull him back.

"It's because- Would you let me go, Tony! It's because your ex is here, Lokes." Thor had pushed Tony away again and marched off in the suspected direction of Loki's ex. The younger brother felt himself go numb. His ex was here? No wonder why Thor got angry. The last time Loki saw his ex was at this same bar, but it had gone down a lot worse than what'd happened tonight. He remembered the nasty comments, the accusations and lies that spilled from the man he had given everything to. 

"I didn't know-" Tony began, looking a bit angry himself.

"No, you didn't. But that's okay." Loki breathed, feeling his heart racing. He gave Tony a half smile and went to follow his brother, but felt his legs give way before he could move properly. Tony, being quick on his feet, grabbed Loki as gently as he could and stopped him from falling onto the wet concrete as hard as he could've. The brother tried to take a deep breath, but felt like a hand was wrapping its way around his throat. 

"Hey, Loki? What's happening?" Tony was still holding him, pulling him up gently to his feet. Loki was quite a bit taller than him, but Tony was a lot stronger.

"I can't-" 

"Okay, hey it's okay, yeah? Let's get you somewhere warm. We can- Bruce, Steve, guys can you go get his brother? Please-" Tony didn't need to finish asking before his friends set off in a run in the same direction Thor went seconds ago. Tony wrapped his arm around Loki's back and guided him towards the bar, walking past the people staring as quickly as they could and into the bathroom. Loki could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. What was it he had said only an hour ago? _Ah yes, great first impression._

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" He breathed, clutching to Tony's arm and trying to stand up properly. The shorter man just smiled softly and guided him to the sink so he could lean against the counter top. 

"Don't worry about it." 

The two stood there in a comfortable silence, Loki still holding onto Tony's arm, eyes closed, until the younger felt like he wasn't going to fall over again. When he felt like his heart had returned to it's normal speed, Loki opened his eyes and looked around. It was important to him that he established where he was and who he was with when this happened to him. If he didn't, it was highly likely he'd freak out all over again and end up being sick. Tony stood there, letting his arm lose its feeling as he allowed this sweet looking guy try and calm himself down. It wasn't in his place to ask about it, to suggest what to do or even speak. He had decided as soon as he noticed that Loki's eyes had glazed over that the younger boy was completely in control of the situation and he'd go along with whatever he needed. 

Taking a couple of deep breaths again, Loki finally looked at Tony and awkwardly smiled. Although he had stopped crying, some stray tears still rolled down his cheeks. He felt utterly pathetic. Thor hadn't even mentioned a name, but the memories came flooding back all too quickly for Loki to handle and it'd hit him like a bus. He didn't care who saw, what they said or did, his body was going into a melt down. He felt grateful that Tony had taken him inside, the warmth had definitely helped him calm down. 

"Thank you." 

"Don't worry about it." Tony repeated, the smile still on his face. Loki let go of his arm and let out an awkward giggle, turning to the mirror and sighing. Tony followed his actions and they made eye contact with each other. Loki felt a blush creeping across his cheeks and Tony's smile grew. 

"I'm sure my brothers more than twice your size." The taller boy deadpanned, his expression blank. Tony narrowed his eyes and the two erupted into laughs. Whether it was the alcohol, or the situation, both of them found that comment hilarious and neither stopped laughing until Tony clutched his stomach and Loki had fresh tears rolling down his cheeks again. 

"Do you want to go see him now? Or do you need some more time? I could go get him if you want-"

"I'm fine." Loki interrupted, quickly learning that Tony would be one of those people who ramble when they're nervous. 

"Let's go then." The shorter man smiled, walking out of the bathroom first and looking around the bar. It was still a bit packed, but no one looked at the odd couple. Tony looked back at Loki and nodded his head in the direction of where he had spotted Bruce and Steve with Thor. What a wild night. If you could call it a night. It wasn't even 9pm yet.

Loki looked in the mirror once more and ran his hand through his hair. His usually pale face was red and blotchy, his eyes bloodshot from crying and his hands still had a shake to them. He felt like a mess, but at least he was with kind company when it happened this time. 

"Oh, there you are!" Bruce smiled kindly towards both of them when Tony and Loki finally sat down at the table. Thor made eye contact with his brother and raised an eyebrow. Loki just shook his head and bent his head down so no one could see his face. Usually, the younger brother was very fussy about his appearance and didn't like when people saw him in a state. Being around new people, with a blotchy red face, while wearing joggers wasn't a great first impression to make.

"I think it's time we go home." Loki muttered, still not raising his head. Thor laughed, another drink in his hands already. Tony and Bruce scoffed, both looking at Loki with concern. 

"I haven't been out in so long, brother. I'm not going home now." Loki scowled at his brother, glaring at him across the table. Couldn't he see what state he was in? Why couldn't he take the hint that Loki was dropping. 

"If you want to go home, I can walk you." Tony offered, trying to smile as gently as he could at the younger man next to him. The brother just shrugged, not sure of what to do now. Sure, Tony could walk him home but what'd he do when he was all alone in their apartment again? 

"Brilliant!" Thor boomed, a grin across his face. Loki just stared at him, completely numb to feeling now. Why was his brother so insensitive to his needs? It'd been like this since they were children, as long as Thor was happy then who cared about Loki? Their mother, Frigga, was always on Loki's side but she had died suddenly one day and it had sent Loki into a downward spiral of loneliness and self destructive behaviour. It was how Loki had begun to involve himself in relationships with men who didn't respect him or his body. The latest relationship had left Loki feeling like a shell of his former self. 

"Okay." The younger brother gave up. There was no point fighting Thor on this, he wasn't Loki's mother and he certainly didn't have to follow him home if he didn't want to. Tony smiled, muttered something to his friends and got up from the table. Bruce and Steve waved bye, continuing with their drinks and conversation. Thor waved sloppily bye to his brother and carried on drinking. Loki said bye quietly and got up, following Tony out the door. It was weird, but Loki felt safe around Tony already. 

"At least it isn't raining anymore." Tony chirped, a spring in his step. Loki nodded, humming a response. It was still cold, and Loki didn't want to be outside longer than necessary. Tonight was a draining experience, and Tony seemed to still be thriving off some sort of energy. 

"How you feeling now?" 

"Fine."

"Fine isn't a feeling."

"Well I feel fine." Loki snapped, glaring at Tony. Guilt flooded his body when he saw the look on Tony's face. 

"I'm sorry, Tony." 

"Don't be, I am for pressing you when you're not ready. Which ways your house?"

"The way I'm walking," Loki muttered, a smirk on his face. Tony quirked an eyebrow at the sarcastic comment but didn't answer. The two walked in the same comfortable silence as they had before and focused on whatever was in front of them. There were quite a few drunk people around, some singing, some shouting and fighting, Loki felt uneasy hearing people shouting but forced it to the back of his mind. He didn't need another breakdown in the street, in front of Tony, he could wait until he was in the safety of his own home. The wind started picking up, Loki could swear that he heard thunder in the distance. Not that he was scared of thunder, he was a complete weather freak. Any sort of thunder or rain sent Loki into such a calm state of mind and it was the best feeling ever. 

"So, here it is." Loki muttered, pointing to an old door that connected to a hall, then to his apartment and his neighbours. 

"Oh, how adorable, I especially love the shattered glass window there." Tony hummed, an odd smile on his face. Loki huffed out a laugh at the comment. It really was a shitty looking place, but the two brothers spent a lot of money and time to make their space look as homely and safe as they could. 

"Thanks for walking me home, Anthony." 

"Anything to put your mind at ease. I'm going to go back to the pub, keep an eye on your brother for you." 

"Okay." 

"Unless you want company?" 

"I don't like to be alone- But if you want to go back and hang out with Thor and your friends then I can't make you-"

"They can hang out together, I'd rather make sure you're okay." 

"I- Yeah. Thank you. Come in, but you have to be quiet or our neighbour complains. Thor stomps around a lot." 

"I can imagine." 

"And he's loud too." 

"I already know that." Loki laughed nervously, playing with his hands after opening the main front door and letting himself and Tony in. The hallway was dark, it always sent a shiver up Loki's spine as his imagination ran wild with what could be lurking at the end of the hall. The two made their way up the staircase in silence, Tony shutting the door behind them as quietly as he could. When they got to the top, Loki fumbled with his keys and tried to feel for the right one. It was an ugly fat key, it felt gritty and rough against his skin, so it was pretty easy to identify, but for some reason he couldn't find it and it sent his head into a flurry. What if they couldn't get into the apartment? No way Thor had his keys with him, the oaf hardly remembers to bring his phone. 

"Hey," Tony whispered, pulling out his phone and turning it's flashlight on. The older man directed the light on Loki's hands, making it a lot easier for him to find the right key. Muttering a thanks, Loki found the right key and unlocked the door. The two were met with an ominous glow from the TV the brother had left on earlier that night. Again, Tony shut the door behind him and looked around for Loki, who'd disappeared to the kitchen to grab some drinks and junk food to eat. Locating the light switch, Tony was surprised when he turned on the light to see the space around him was incredibly clean and tidy. He half expected it to look a mess, much like his own apartment. 

"I don't have any alcohol, sorry." Loki said, placing the cokes on the table and sitting down. Tony shrugged, the mood for drinking long gone. The older man sat down on the sofa, but not close enough to Loki to make the man uncomfortable. Loki took off his jacket and chucked it on the chair near the side of the sofa. He toed off his shoes too, feeling like it'd make the whole situation more casual if at least one of them wasn't dressed up properly.

"Are these Jelly Tots?" 

"Maybe." Loki smiled, grabbing a bag of them and opening it. Tony laughed, picking up a bag too. It was such a childish sweet to have, especially for someone in university to have on hand but Tony was starting to realise that Loki wasn't your everyday student and placing him in that same box was a wrong thing to do.

"So, what are we watching?" 

"We can watch whatever you want, Anthony. All I do is watch shit." 

"Okay, well I might put on the great British bake off then." Loki snorted, but didn't protest as the older man took the remote and chose the show. It wasn't something new to him, when he ran out of things to watch he'd put that on as a last resort. Baking wasn't something Loki liked to do very often. 

"If I fall asleep, feel free to let yourself out or stay over. You can sleep anywhere, I doubt Thor will be bothered if you stay over. He ends up in the bathtub when he's drunk, so... Beds free." Loki muttered, rubbing his eyes and adjusting himself so he could lay down on the sofa better. It was a squeeze, but Loki managed to move to lay on his side, with his legs brought up to his chest. Tony smiled at the sight and replied with an 'okay'. The two sat in silence, the sound of Mary Berry commenting on something floated around the air and Loki felt himself drifting off to sleep. It'd started raining again, and the window behind the two men was being pelted. The sound was relaxing enough to send the younger man off into a deep sleep quite quickly. Tony finished his first pack of Jelly Tots and slipped his coat and shoes off. He didn't want to leave Loki alone, and he couldn't lock the door in case Thor came back and couldn't get in. 

The older man eventually let sleep overtake him, not bothering to move himself, Tony let his head rest against the back of the sofa and listened to the rain. Neither woke when Thor came back in the early hours of the morning, nor did they wake when the older brother grabbed a blanket and draped it over both of the sleeping figures on the sofa. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I know it says texting AU, and there was hardly any texting, but unlike my other fic I felt the need to cover some common ground so the two characters could bond face to face instead of texting. And there's no need for stuff like "Lets see a picture of you holding up a knife so I know you're not catfishing me". I hope you enjoyed! I might edit some stuff later on but as for now I'm really excited for how this turned out and I hope it works out really well.


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